Friday Interview: Shawn McIntosh

OK, seriously, if you haven’t seen Shawn McIntosh‘s full-length interview from the April 2014 issue, you’re missing out on a glimpse of what is sure to be one of the craziest video parts of the year, as well as a raw no-holds barred interview with the Mac. Well, for now, here’s some extra interview material that didn’t make it into the magazine, along with some unseen photos, and more…

Pegs to gap past the steps. All Photos: Jeff Zielinski

What happens when you find something you want to do and then learn that someone else already called it out a while ago, but they still haven’t tried it yet?I feel like if you call something out, if you haven’t done it in like two weeks, what are you doing with your life? You’re just going to sit on it and wait for it to hatch. If you’re really going to do it, you’re really going to do it. So don’t talk about it, be about it.

When you used to live with Justin Inman, did you ever get in on the session at the trails ?I did, I rode through there all day one day and I think that’s the only session that I had at Salem because I kind of got broke off one time. Then Chase Hawk came to stay with Justin while they were filming Stay Fit and we went to the trails one day. It was Chase’s first time at the trails, even then he’s just a badass. I was like, ‘Yeah, dude, I never really rode these either and I’m going to ride them with you today.’ And I did, I rode ’em. I was just making it through just jumping one line, it was like the easiest line there, but I was going through and I was having a blast, I was doing turndowns, unturndowns… just floating through these huge fucking jumps and I just felt, it felt so good. And then I took a break and then Chase got to know the jumps and just started doing huge shit, and I was like, ‘Alright, you good, I’m going to watch.’ Him and Inman just running trains—it was sick, so I just started drinking and watched after that. But yea, I did mess with them. I grew up racing and doing little dirt jumps, and those jumps at Salem, those things were just like, scientifically made to just throw you from one to the next—they’re perfect. You make the first one, you’re going through a roller coaster—that’s what I thought.

I remember one time you were asked about turning pro and you said something like how it went from just riding bikes to having it turn into like, a working kind of thing. Did you say that like it’s a bad thing?No, it’s not a bad thing because when I think about any other job, that’s obviously way worse because this way, yeah, I do feel like it’s work at times, but the fact that I do get to do this pushes me to be able to do what my mind wants to do, like, if I worked a regular job, I’d be like, ‘Yo, I want to do that, but could I really afford to get hurt.’ But now it’s like I get paid to do this. If I do get hurt, yeah, it’s going to be fucked and I won’t be able to ride, but I have that chance of getting back on my feet.

Manual on the back ledge to hop up Smith while in Portland on the Primoblazers trip from last summer.

I still remember the very first day I met you, we were driving about Long Beach looking at spots and you saw a roof-to-rail—which, at the time, you didn’t realize had already been done by Josh Heino. I know you were bummed because then you told me, “I saw that and my heart started racing because I was ready to do it.” That’s when I learned of your endless search for roof-to-rails…That’s one of the main things in my life—roof-to-rails. I am always looking for a good roof-to-rail—that’s one thing I’m hunting. Maybe it’s because I look up to Chet [Chester Blacksmith] so much, like seeing him do that. But I don’t want to half-ass it and get hurt, so I’m always looking for that perfect one that’s just yelling at me to fucking do it.

Want to share the story about when you busted out your teeth with Chet?Oh my God, yeah. We were trying to wrap up the Goodsvideo and I was trying to get my banger because I didn’t have one for that section—it ended up being a gap out-to-nose thing. So I didn’t get my banger and it [the video] went out anyways. We were going to the Silverdale rails where Lou Rajsich did the manual-to-crooked grind [rail first from the the Blueprintvideo]. I was going to try to grind-to-whip gap into the street. I was going to pad up and just get it done. So we went to the park just to warm up and I was just blasting around and I was going so fast pumping and I just hit the hip and I just boosted it so high and got so grizzed out in the air—just looping out. So right at the peak of my air, I just threw my left hand up to grab the tire and just shake my head forward to try to kick myself and level out. It worked a little bit I got a little forward, I saw the quarter coming up so I went to go grab my bars and I just didn’t get my thumb around the bar so when I landed I kind of cased and that threw me straight scorpion dive to the flat bottom. I tried to put my shoulders up to save myself, but I just smashed my face into the ground and I knocked the wind out of myself, I landed on my arm and bruised some ribs. I was still like, looking down, I didn’t look and up and was like, ‘I knocked my fucking teeth out dude.’ And I’m just like trying to breath and Chet’s just like, “No you didn’t.” And I look up at him and he’s like, “Yeah, you did, let’s get outta here.”

Jeff: Oh that sucks!

I felt like I had internal bleeding so we went and got an ultrasound on my stomach to see if I had an internal bleeding or ruptured my spleen or anything. The hospital put some plaster on my teeth because it was Sunday I wasn’t going to make it to the dentist right after the hospital—it was like 5pm at the time. But I found an emergency dental place and I went there. They got me right in and ripped that tooth out—gave me a root canal, built a new one, and I was back to normal that night. That whole day was a huge nightmare, but at the end, I just had a fat lip when I went to bed. My lip was just huge, but I had my teeth back. I didn’t eat anything that whole day either. I still haven’t got a crown. They told me to be super-careful with it, but I don’t have a thousand bucks to spend on a crown. I never knocked a tooth out. I had seen my homeys do it. Never thought that could happen to me. Shit sucked, I couldn’t even close my mouth, they just pushed ’em in, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t do anything, I drank these Gatorade protein drinks—Chet had one in the car and I just like, ‘Pour it down my throat’ because I was so hungry.

Gap-to-Smith while clockin’ some footy for the Doorstep video. Yup, Shawn’s not only dropping some heavy moves for Fit and Primo, but he’s got some choice clips lined up in his homey’s video too.

We caught up with Shawn to find out what he’s been up to more recently since his interview dropped and we managed to bounce a few questions off him while he was in Northern California on a Primo/Stranger trip.

Why’d you shave your head to look like the bad guy from The Fifth Element a few months ago? Obviously I was high out of my mind… But everyone had gone to the bar at that point of the night. Ty [Morrow] and I were the only ones in the house watching random vids on Youtube. Then I thought I should shave my face before we dipped to the bar—I ended up shaving a tad high and rolled with it…

So what brought on the move to Hollywood?Isn’t that what all the cool kids do? But yeah… I felt like I needed to change it up and so did the homeys. So Augie [Simoncini], Tony [Neyer], [Aaron] Brenner and myself felt the need to move to the greener pastures. I know Ty is bummed, though, because he just moved from SD to be with us and we dipped the very next week. I helped him move to LBC… but it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump so we gonna be ok…

How long do you think it’ll take Augie to kill someone in the house?I don’t know…? He kills about 20 blunts a day though!

Are you still planning on doing the jump between Portland and LA or is this a permanent spot? I’m gonna just play it by ear and see what happens, I’m sure I will be there at some point—can’t let a good summer pass by without a ’lil NW sunshine.

How has the transition been? Have you had a chance to get much cruising and/or exploring in?I haven’t done anything but run to 7/11 [laughs]. It’s only been three days. But we have a pretty amazing neighbor—’lil 75 year-old lady who brings us food every morning. I’m sure I’ll adapt very well.

How long before you think you’re going to miss Long Beach?Missed it before I left. The train is right outside our house so you will see me in the LBC from time to time. My BFF Ty Morrow has a year lease so I’ma be around.

How’s it going with the Fit video? You’re pretty much done filming, aren’t you?I’m fucking done. I’m the happiest kid alive! I hope all of you enjoy it. I dealt with some fucked up situations.

Shawn, keeping light on his feet.

How many trips do you think you went on?We went on so many trips I can’t even count, but I recently went to Greece with Ben Lewis, Jeff Z. and Coxie [James Cox] and it was the best trip I’ve ever been on—so chill and laid back. Couldn’t ask for a better crew.

How many times did you think you filmed your banger for the Fit video?Honestly, I don’t want to make anyone push that red button unless I’m going for gold…

Tell us about the trip you’re on right now?I’m out with Justin Shier, Tony Neyer, Aaron Brenner [and] Sean Ricany—who got called out at the bar for being 18 and they still let him in… Berkley, California is tight… Eric L. also smashed with us and is having a really good time.

I heard that your new Primo edit is almost as good as your Fit part (when taking into consideration you’ve only been filming for it a few months). I know the stuff I’ve seen is nuts…I’ve been doing some scary shit that has me stressed out on the daily…

Any new signature stuff in the works?Yeah, but I don’t know if I’m at liberty to talk about all the stuff. But my plastic Fit Bike Co. Mac pedals will be out this week! And my signature color way of the Lotek Nightwolf just dropped, so go cop those… I have some other stuff with Lotek in the works, but I’ll let you guys know when the time is right…

What you see is the toothpick, but you’ll have to wait until the Fit video to get the full story.

THis long pegs up the square rail-to-gap over the fence was the fifth clip and photo Shawn snagged within the first half of a very productive day. Largely thanks to his good luck charm David Grant being out with us that day.